Category: Library

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Notes from West Ealing Neighbours public meeting on Monday 16th March 2026

1.Police

The new Met Police service Met Engage https://www.metengage.co.uk/ is worth signing up for.

There will soon be no police station open overnight in the borough. Councillors urger to lobby police to change this and keep one open.

2.West Ealing Action Group

Laura McLean, Area Manager, Regeneration, Investment and Jobs at Ealing Council gave a presentation.

Ealing one of 12 boroughs to get £50k funding for High Street Place Labs. The aim of this project is to improve the high street over the next three years including:

  • repurposing empty shops and buildings
  • improving ‘back street connections’ that link areas together eg Canberra Road, Melbourne Avenue, Walsingham Road etc
  • Developing the night time economy

Two meetings of local stakeholders have been held so far and the third is tomorrow (Tuesday 17th March).

3.Your Voice Your Town

A Council initiative, following the end of ward forums, to encourage community involvement in local decision making. Each of the borough’s seven towns has a budget for grants to local projects. Also, a mechanism for residents to have  say in how some of the Community Infrastructure Levy money will be spent in their area.

4.Lammas Park

This remains a controversial issue with some residents. Cllr Driscoll explained the current situation and defended the creation of a wetland in the park as part of the overall scheme. The temporary fencing around the area will come down soon but it will be kept around the newly planted areas.

5.Pear Tree Park

A newly created park as part of the West London Regional Parks Corridor (see slides on this).

6.West Ealing Community Library

Catherine Fitzgibbon ran through the wide range of activities now available at the library. The library is looking for volunteers to help keep it open from 5-7pm in May and June for students to study for their exams. Anyone interested please email friends@wecl.org.uk

The library is run by West Ealing Community CIC, a not-for-profit organisation. It is close to signing a Licence to Occupy with the Council. It has also strengthened its governance with some new directors.

There will be a Community Library Spring Party on Saturday 25th April.

7.Development Sites

Dean Gardens

The half-complete buildings will be demolished following the bankruptcy of the original builders – Henry. The Council’s insurance covers a small part of the cost of this.

Green Man Lane

A2Dominion are closing in on appointing a new contractor following Rydon going out of business.

Gurnell Leisure Centre

Concerns raised about due diligence on the Council’s preferred partner Vistry.

There will be a high percentage of affordable housing in the 300 flats proposed for this site.

£3million will be spent to de-risk the site prior to the new leisure centre being built.

Kwik Fit

A private development so the Council can only encourage the developer Luxgrove to get started.

TIDE – Hastings Road

Work on the planned 400 plus student homes has now commenced.

Manor Road

Still concerns over traffic management on this site next to the station. The Council will follow up with the developers on these concerns.

St James Ave

Another Luxgrove development. Work yet to start on the planned HMOs

Waitrose

Although the John Lewis Partnership has pulled out of its plan for rental homes on this site, it is still pursuing its planning application and may seek to sell this on to a developer. Given the timing of this application it will now include a CIL contribution to improving local infrastructure.

Woolworths

Also a Luxgrove development.

Sherwood Close

Concerns raised about the quality of some of the new buildings, especially over locks to stop intruders.

Work started on the private housing site close to Northfield Avenue.

8.Felix Project

This charity collects and distributes surplus fresh food to food banks, charities etc. It distributed 18,000 tonnes last year.

9.Dean Gardens

Needs some cleaning up.

10.Hanwell Carnival

London’s oldest carnival is back in 2026 0n Saturday 20th June. Volunteers are welcome and details on their website –https://hanwellcarnival.co.uk/

11.West Ealing Station Elizabeth Line

Disappointment that the additional trains on this line will not be stopping at West Ealing given its planned population growth over the next few years.

12.School Streets

Questions asked about the effectiveness of School Streets given over 250,000 Penalty Charge Notices issues since 2020.

13.Road Works A lot of disruption in West Ealing caused by road works at the start of this year. The Council is looking at ways to improve this including plans for lane rental charges

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Library Fun Day encourages more residents to volunteer to help out

West Ealing Community Library (WECL) became a community managed library in July 2019. The aim of the celebration on Saturday 5th April was not only to give the community a fun day but also to encourage more local residents to volunteer as friends to help run and develop the library as a vital facility for all the local community.
 
Cllr. Yvonne Johnson, Mayor of Ealing attended and supported West Ealing Community Library party in Melbourne Avenue on Saturday 5th April 2025. She formally unveiled the Jessica Huntley and Eric Huntley’s self-portrait drawings on the library windows proudly greeting everyone who goes into the library. These drawings represent the Huntley Legacy. Eric Huntley, Ealing’s elder political reformer, campaigner, activist and co-founder of Bogle-L’Ouverture Publications, danced to the music of the Akindread band. Local councillors who supported the event included, Cllr. Polly Knewstub and Cllr. Grace Quansah. There were singers and spoken word performers, a DJ, story tellers, face-painting and puppet shows all participated in the vibrant party. Volunteers from the action group signed up over 100 local residents to volunteer to become a Friend of the library.
 
Catherine FitzGibbon, leader of library’s action group, explained: “We need to sign up many local friends as we’ll always need new support, new energy and new input. We have created a small action group with six of us. As it’s a community library, we need to have a community with whom it dialogues.”
 
The library’s action group is run solely by volunteers with Catherine FitzGibbon and a team of over 20 other volunteers taking on all the tasks and responsibilities needed to keep the library open. As it currently stands, this action group has no formal status but will probably become the library’s Steering Group once the lease is signed by West Ealing Community CIC as the not-for-profit group with overall responsibility for the library.
 
A volunteer at this library expresses how she supports WECL Friends. Paula, volunteers one shift a week to help out. In addition, she runs an English class once a week.
 
Paula said: “Originally asylum seekers needed help with their English conversation but now these classes are for all in need.”
 
Paula added: “It’s more of a community hub, than being about books. We help people with benefit claims, computer skills, filling out forms and just having someone to chat to.”
 
The more people who volunteer to help in the library the more the library can offer the community in terms of longer opening hours and more activities and events. Currently the library opens 10am till 5pm Tuesday to Friday and a plan is being drawn up to trial Saturday opening from 10am-2pm.

Cllr. Grace Quansah represents the Walpole ward, where this community library is based and has lived in Hanwell since 1968.
 
Cllr. Grace said: “As well as volunteers, we need helpers for workshops to offer advice and facilitate the needs of the community. This can all happen through discussions. It’s a two way process.”
 
Cllr. Grace adds: “We, as a community, want stability. We want to bring the rich multicultural community into this library, where everyone feels valued and is enshrined in this WECL Friends project.”  
 
WECL welcomed large population of crowds from the local community, at the party. Library users gave their views and suggestions on what they want. Some requests were, weekend opening hours, homework club, arts and crafts clubs and book launches.
 
Following discussions with other community-led libraries, Catherine shares her thoughts about volunteering at WECL:  
 
“Its quite hard to find people who are willing to volunteer at the weekends or in the evenings. Even to stay open in the day you need about 6-8 volunteers for every hour you’re open.”
 
Paula talks about the future of WECL: “I would like this library to continue as it’s an important resource. It will be lovely to have more local primary schools bringing children in once or twice a month to choose books and to see what they can do here.
 
“At the moment, we need funding for all these ideas. We’re hoping to take this project to Ealing Council to say this is worth investing in.”
 
The Worshipful Mayor concluded and supported everyone’s views: “We should have more of this. It’s good that the community can run these things themselves so we don’t lose them.”
 
West Ealing Community Library would love to have more volunteers. Anyone wishing to regularly help out can come into West Ealing Community Library on Melbourne Avenue and speak to the Volunteer Coordinators – Samantha Stotland (present most mornings) and Ian Harries (present most afternoons).

You can also keep up to date with events, special invites and have your say in the library’s future by becoming a Friend.

Smriti Gopal

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Notes from West Ealing Neighbours’ public meeting on Thursday 27th March 2025

Around 150 residents packed into the Ballroom at The Drayton Court Hotel at 7:30pm. WEN Vice Chair Eric Leach chaired the meeting. Four Ealing Council Councillors attended – Councillors Quansah, Driscoll, Knewstub and Manro. The latter two sit on Ealing Council’s Cabinet.

West Ealing Community Library (WECL)

Catherine Fitzgibbon, who is leading the Library project, explained that the West Ealing Community CIC (of which David Highton is a Director) is negotiating with Ealing Council to replace Open Ealing (and prior to that Ealing & Hounslow Voluntary Services) as library leaseholders. WECL is run entirely by volunteers and is currently open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm. WECL Friends was recently established and more volunteers are needed. Contact info@wecl.org.uk. All residents were invited to an Open Day at the library on Saturday 5 April 2025 – which will feature music, poetry, story telling, puppet shows and face painting.

Feeling Safe in West Ealing

Kofi Nyamah, Ealing Council’s Community Engagement Manager discussed the Council’s Your Voice, Your Town (YVYT) and Town Teams initiatives. Up to £9 million of Community Infrastructure Levy could be spent based on Town team’s recommendations 2025 – 2039. The main subject of residents’ concerned revealed by YVYT research in 2014 was ‘feeling safe’.

Awful crime figures for Central West Ealing were announced at the meeting for January 2025:

All Reported Crime: 324 incidents

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB): 135 incidents

Violent and Sex Crimes: 53 incidents

These monthly figures were worse than any month in 2024.

Resident Dave Randles derived these figures from the Crime Maps at www.police.uk

David Highton, WEN Chair, announced the results of a WEN ‘feeling safe’ survey of WEN members. It was small sample size (230 – 273 replies) but the results are very sobering:

Q1 Is ASB in West Ealing a concern for you?

A1 Yes: 94.14%    No: 5.86%

Q2 Do you feel safe in your neighbourhood?

A2 Yes: 23.94%      No: 76.06%

Q3 Do you feel less safe than a year ago?

A3 Yes: 78.13%   No: 21.88%

Q4 Have you been directly affected by ASB in the past 12 months?

A4 Yes: 72.41%   No: 27.59%

Q5 Did you report it to the Police?

Yes: 29.13%  No: 70.87%

The Police Sargeant in charge of West Ealing centre spoke about what actions the Police had taken recently. He also pointed out his slim resources and re-iterated the need for residents to report every incident to the Police. The audience showed its appreciation for the Police efforts.

Lammas Park & East Lodge

Exposurebox videos of digging up the park and e.coli in the park were shown.

The number of objections to the East Lodge Planning Application has exceeded 3,100. In the chair’s experience of 20 years examining Planning Applications, this number is the highest number ever recorded.

The Building Preservation Notice for East Lodge has now been granted. This gives 6 month’s protection from demolition. Council efforts to have East Lodge Listed by Historic England are still being pursued by the Council. A Listing would, theoretically, protect the Lodge in perpetuity.

WEN has recently discovered that a London-wide consortium of all London Boroughs, TfL, Thames Water, Thames Flood Officers and the Environment Agency is behind the digging up of Dean Gardens, Lammas Park and more recently Belvue Park in Northolt. They are implementing a ‘Sustainable Drainage Action Plan (LoSUDS)’.

Waitrose Development

A decision by the Planning Inspector is awaited. The Council thinks this will happen imminently but Justine Sullivan of Stop the Towers said it might take some time.

Gurnell Leisure Centre Development

The GLA Stage 2 response to the Council approved Planning Application criticised building on a floodplain and on MOL, the  footprint and height and only 35% affordable on public land but….decided to leave the decision to Ealing Council. The £100m housing development will be carried out by an external contractor – probably Wilmot Dixon.

Sherwood Close Development

Residents’ champion Antonia Moutsopoulou detailed safety, security, ASB, maintenance and Clarion Housing problems. Councillor Quansah volunteered to meet Antonia on site and help her deal with residents’ problems.

Dean Gardens Development

Since Henry – the builders – went bust in June 2023 the two unfinished tower blocks have not attracted a new builder to deal with the problem and complete the development. It’s thought if/when a new builder is engaged the blocks may have to be demolished and the Planning Application process begun all over again.

Old Woolworths Building Site , 96 – 102 Broadway West Ealing

New proposals for an apartment hotel with 268 suites has been proposed. See BroadwayEaling.site for details and how to comment. The frontage of the proposed  9 storey building elegantly mimics the frontage of the 1922 Woolworths building.

St Mary’s Cathedral

A wonderful repurposing of the St James Church, which has not been in use for years. The opening of the Assyrian Church of the East Cathedral on 15 February 2025 was attended by 500 people from all over the world. WEN is building up good relations with the Cathedral management.

Green Spaces and WEN Abundance

 Green Spaces is a local community initiative for co-ordinating volunteers to recover and re-present small green spaces (westealinggreenspaces.org). Abundance is on ongoing WEN project which involves harvesting fruit in public places and, with permission, in private gardens. The fruit is turned into jams, chutneys and cordial. Both projects are volunteer based and more volunteers are needed.

The public meeting ended at 9:00pm.

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Let’s get West Ealing library back at the centre of our community

West Ealing library is back open again for three days a week. It’s looking for volunteers to help extend its opening hours and for ways to once again be a hub for the local community. It’s already running a range of classes and activities and are looking for ideas to expand these. The library’s development officer Rachel Bangera de Souza writes:

“After a backdrop of council cuts in the area, West Ealing Library became community managed in 2020 and began a phased opening to the general public in July 2020. Our team of dedicated volunteers and Ealing and Hounslow Community Voluntary Service (EHCVS) gave been working hard so far and we’re now open every week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am-4pm. We’ve also got the knitting group back in the library, have storytimes running every Tuesday with sessions at 10am and 10:45am and have Digital Champions providing drop-in digital support 3 times a week. To keep up to date with how we’re getting on, have a look at our website www.westealingcommunitylibrary.co.uk or our Facebook page.

We’re keen for the local community can get involved in the library to keep the library going as a thriving community hub. If you’re looking to volunteer at the library then please go on our website here, to look at our available long-term roles and register your interest. We also welcome offers from groups for one-off jobs like washing windows, cleaning and decorating, so please email westealingcommunitylibrary@ehcvs.org.uk if you’d like to set something up.

Now, we’re also looking for ways that local groups and businesses can support us to keep expanding our activities, so if you’re looking for a long-term base for your organisation, or looking for a venue for meetings, activities and events, we have just the solution for you! Explore our options for venue hire and permanent office space and help support the running of West Ealing Community Library with the added benefit of having EHCVS’ network of charities, community and voluntary groups at your fingertips.

We have permanent office space and hot desking options with kitchen facilities, internet connection and printing/copying services available for your organization to use. We also have venue hire options including the newly built training room in the library which are all modern and wheelchair accessible. For more details and prices please email bookings@ehcvs.org.uk.

Not interested in room hire but are looking to support the library in other ways through your business whether it be financial or otherwise? Please email us at westealingcommunitylibrary@ehcvs.org.uk.

We look forward to welcoming more of you back in the library and getting the community fully involved!”

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West Ealing Library now open again

After well over over a year of being closed we welcome the re-opening of West Ealing library. Now known as West Ealing Community Library, and managed by Ealing and Hounslow CVS, the library is open from 10am-2pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during August.

The library team are looking for volunteers to help with two roles:

  • Home Libraries Club
  • Customer Service

For more information on volunteering at the library follow this link

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Ealing CVS is successful in bid to take over West Ealing Library

Ealing Community and Voluntary Service (CVS), currently based at the Lido building, has been successful with its bid to take over West Ealing Library and run it as a community managed library. It seems Ealing Law Centre has been successful in its bid for Hanwell Library

West Ealing Library is due to shut after tomorrow in preparation for the handover to Ealing CVS. You can find out all about Ealing CVS and what is does here.

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Council gives go-ahead to cuts in libraries budget

Despite 17,450 people signing petitions against the Council’s plans to stop funding for seven of our 13 libraries, the Cabinet approved the plans at its meeting on Tuesday evening. As a result, these seven libraries will now see the loss of their professional librarians and become either community managed or community supported. West Ealing Library has had expressions of interest from groups willing to take on its running. The next step is for these groups to work up a business plan and then the Council will decide which group will be chosen.

It’s not yet clear what the full costs will be to run West Ealing Library as the Council has yet to decide on the rental cost of the back room office area. However, it is clear that whichever group takes it on will have to find the full running costs once the initial start up phase is over. The Council will give some financial support in the start up phase. If, for whatever reason, the group fails then the Council will look for another group or close the library.